Modern recreational swimming pools are well known. A swimming pool typically comprises a vessel for containing water and a water circulation system. The vessel is typically a masonry structure but other materials such as fiberglass and vinyl are in common use.
The water circulation system includes a water pump and a filter. The water pump draws water from the vessel through influent pipe in fluid communication with the vessel. The water is then forced through the filter where the water is filtered for debris. The now-filtered water is then returned to the pool through effluent pipe in fluid communication with the vessel.
The influent pipe communicates with the vessel through structures adapted to the vessel. These structures may include a skimmer and a main drain sump. The skimmer is located adjacent the vessel and is configured primarily to cause a thin layer of water adjacent the surface of the water in the vessel to be drawn into the skimmer thereby removing debris floating on the water surface. A typical skimmer in use today is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,306,448.
The skimmer includes a mouth that defines a skimmer opening which opens into the vessel at an upper portion of a vessel wall. A horizontally disposed throat extends from the mouth to a skimmer body having a sidewall which defines a vertically extending skimmer bore. A debris collecting skimmer basket is supported in the skimmer bore. The skimmer body includes a suction port adjacent a lower end of the sidewall below the skimmer basket. Influent pipe is adapted to the suction port to provide fluid communication between the skimmer and the pump. Under the influence of the pump water is drawn from the vessel through the skimmer mouth and bore and out through the suction port.
In some skimmers, an equalizer port may also be located adjacent the lower end of the skimmer body sidewall. The equalizer port, if present, may communicate with the vessel through an equalizer pipe extending from the equalizer port and opening into the vessel a foot or more below the skimmer mouth. In another arrangement the equalizer port communicates through a pipe extending to, and in communications with, a main drain sump set at the bottom of the vessel.
The skimmer mouth is located in the vessel sidewall so that the surface of the water coincides generally with the middle of a vertical side wall defining the mouth opening. In modern skimmers, a buoyant, pivoting weir is supported in the opening. The buoyant, pivoting action of the weir causes a thin layer of water adjacent the water surface to be drawn into the skimmer mouth. The pivoting action also accommodates a varying water level in the pool while still providing skimming action.
To protect against situations where the vessel water level is too low to provide an adequate flow through the skimmer mouth a suction diverter may be placed in the skimmer bore in selective sealing engagement with the skimmer body adjacent the suction and equalizer ports. When the water level is so low that water flow through the skimmer mouth is inadequate, thus starving the skimmer, a float in the suction diverter drops. When the float drops fluid communication through the skimmer bore is interrupted and exclusive fluid communication between the equalizer port and the suction port is established. In this condition water will still be drawn from the vessel through the suction port.
Swimming pools must be maintained to keep the water and the vessel in a sanitary, clear and substantially debris-free state. Water clarity and sanitation are maintained by filtration and chemical treatment. Debris residing on the water surface is removed by the flow of water through the skimmer mouth and is captured by the skimmer basket located in the skimmer bore.
Other debris may be submerged within the vessel and supported on the interior vessel surface. The most common method for removing this debris is by a vacuuming process utilizing a vacuuming apparatus. The vacuuming apparatus typically includes a telescoping pole, a vacuum head attached to an end of the pole, and a vacuum hose that provides fluid communication between a vacuum source and an aperture in the vacuum head. Such vacuuming apparatuses are well known. The vacuum source for vacuuming the pool vessel is typically the pool pump which is in fluid communication with the skimmer suction port. A vacuum hose end opposite the vacuum head is adapted to be received in sealing engagement with the skimmer suction port thereby causing water to be drawn through the vacuum hose.
During the vacuuming process an end of the vacuum pole opposite the vacuum head is grasped by a maintenance person. The maintenance person then guides the vacuum head over the interior vessel surface so that the head passes over debris to be removed. Debris is drawn up through the vacuum head aperture and through the hose under the suction of the vacuum source.
The pool maintenance and vacuuming procedure begins by first removing a protective skimmer lid from the skimmer body thus exposing the skimmer bore. Then, the skimmer basket is lifted up and out of the skimmer bore and any debris residing in the basket is conveniently dumped from the basket. The skimmer diverter, if present, is then removed. At this point the skimmer is prepared to receive the vacuum hose end into the skimmer suction port.
The total suction of the pump is distributed between the skimmer and the main drain. When vacuuming the pool it is desirable to maximize the flow of water through the skimmer used for vacuuming. Thus, to maximize the suction flow of water through the skimmer the suction flow from the main drain sump should be shut off. The influent piping communicating with the main drain sump is typically separately valved making it convenient to shut the main drain suction off by simply closing that valve.
It is quite common that more than one skimmer is present. In that case the suction flow to the additional skimmers, but not including the skimmer utilized for vacuuming, should be shut off prior to vacuuming the pool. If the influent pipes communicating with the skimmers are separately valved, then shutting off the flow to the additional skimmers is as easy and convenient as closing the valve associated with each additional skimmer. Once done, the vacuuming process can begin.
In some cases the influent pipes communicating with the skimmers are brought together at a common manifold and only a single valve is provided to control the suction flow from all of the skimmers. Thus, the suction flow through the skimmers not used for vacuuming cannot be shut off selectively by closing a valve. Where this arrangement exists the suction flow through the suction ports of the other skimmers not used for vacuuming must be shut off by other means. A common means for shutting off the suction flow through the skimmers is by obstructing the suction ports with a plugging device.
The above described process of cleaning and preparing the skimmers for vacuuming is not without problems. The process is at the very least inconvenient and at worst, presents dangers to the maintenance person. Skimmer lids are often difficult to remove owing to poor fit and expansion on hot summer days. Also, the skimmer bore and skimmer basket may contain substantial debris that may obscure from view dead or living animals including rodents and snakes. Injuries to maintenance personnel attempting to remove the skimmer basket and diverter by reaching into the skimmer bore with their hands may result from bites from living rodents and snakes present in the skimmer bore but unknown to the maintenance person.
Removing the skimmer basket and diverter requires the maintenance person to get down on hands and knees and then insert his hand into the water residing in the skimmer bore. This may be undesirable especially during cold weather when the water is cold. Additionally, a maintenance person wearing long sleeves and gloves must remove the gloves and roll up his sleeves before reaching inside the skimmer bore for the skimmer basket or diverter. This is annoying and time consuming. Also, in freezing weather this is very uncomfortable and may be potentially injurious.
Another problem occurs when multiple skimmers are present. As explained above, to maximize suction flow through the skimmer used for vacuuming, plugging devices must be provided for plugging the skimmer suction ports on skimmers not used for vacuuming. Various devices such as frustum shaped rubber stoppers, ball-shaped objects, or flat discs may be used for plugging these skimmer suction ports. These devices are often difficult to handle and use because of their size and shape. Another problem is that these plugging devices may be drawn deep into the suction port by the suction source, making removal very difficult. These plugging devices must also be retrieved from the skimmer bore when the vacuuming process is finished thus requiring inserting hands in the water a second time.
What is needed and what is presently unavailable is an apparatus for making the skimmer cleaning and vacuum preparation process more convenient and safe.